Why the debate about technology in education is over
Sometimes
one is asked an innocuous question that leads to a good deal of
reflection. In this case, I
was asked to recommend articles characterizing the debate regarding the
effectiveness of technology in education. I quickly thought of
positioning somebody like Nicholas Carr opposite Will Richardson,
providing a clear debate forum. Then I realized that I
would be doing the individual requesting the information a disservice.
While there will always be naysayers who believe that both the pristine
Socratic approach to learning should not be sacrificed and technology
invites lack of focus and distraction, the
resulting dichotomy created by Will Richardson, who argues that
learning is necessarily collaborative, and effectiveness is the right
network of connections, just feels contrived. The differences
articulated in the traditional debate are polar extremes rather
than a synthesis of how technology reinforces our best efforts at
teaching and learning. And that is why the debate is no longer useful.